Apparatus for selecting cocoons



Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

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Application filed April 18,1923; S eria1lIo:632,997

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe,RYoIonI NAI'ro and SEIJI NIsHmAwA', subjects" of tlie Empire j 1ng table,1and is drivenbypulley (:13). 111 --case" severalgstandsv of @the apparatuses are of Japan, residing, respectively, in care of business department of Kanegafuchi Boseki Kabushiki Kwaisha, Higashi-Shiri- Ike, Kobe, Japan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Selecting Cocoons, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for aid in the selection of cocoons and has for its object to provide an apparatus suitable for selecting cocoons and determining, according to their degree of transparency when subjected to the penetrating action of light, the condition of the interior thereof.

The accompanying drawing shows an example of a cocoon selecting apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus and Fig. 2 is a plan view of same, the cocoon receptacle being removed.

Referring to the drawing (1) represents a transparent glass plate forming a cocoon selecting table. (2) represents tubular electric lamps arranged at both sides below the glass plate (1). (3) are shades covering over the lamps (2), the outer' surface of said shades being painted black and the inner surface white. t) is a cocoon receptacle of a funnel shape. It is made of wood or iron plate and is fixed above the selecting table. (5) is a frame work supporting the cocoon receptacle (4), and a black curtain is preferably hung on the fore side of said frame work to shut out external light. (6) is a rectangular wooden frame fixed around the receptacle (4) for preventing the cocoons from brimming over the top of the latter, and in case several of the apparatuses are arranged side by side said frame is made jointly for all the receptacles. (7)

' represents a frame of grid bars for removing dirt and like foreign matter which may be mixed with cocoons. It is made of wire or bamboo strips, and arranged at one end of the cocoon selecting table adjoining the glass plate 1) and vertically below the bottom opening of the cocoon receptacle (4). (S) and (9) are outlet opening or conduits for waste cocoons which are picked out as they are arranged at the other end -o-f the glass plate (-10) is an endless beltqli-ke carrier arranged on two [rollers (:11) and (l2) atthe f'rontside of the selectarranged side by side said carrier is made common for all the apparatuses. (1a) and (15) are side lates fixed on the frame work and arrange along the carrier (10) for preventing cocoons from falling off.

Cocoons filled in the receptacle (4) successively moving downwards to the bottom outlet fall on the grid (7 and dirt passes on through the grid. The operator removes cocoons on the grid sidewards in suitable quantity and scatters them on the glass plate The light of the lamps (2) penetrates through the fibre of the cocoons scattered on the glass plate (1) and in this manner the operator can determine the quality of the cocoons as, for instance, to the existence of stain, states of pupas inside, and the thickness of layers of cocoons. Damaged or inferior cocoons are manually picked up and are dropped into one or the other of the outlets (8) or (9) according to their classification, while good cocoons remaining on the table are passed forwards to be carried away to another receptacle by the carrier (10).

According to the present invention the funnel shaped receptacle being placed vertically, cocoons filled therein successively move down by their own weight as the lowermost cocoons are taken aside by turn, and the operator can scatter the desired number of cocoons to be selected on the table a wide and uniform distribution of light from the lamps 2 is obtained by the use of two relatively long tubular lamps at the sides of the glass plate 1, in place of an ordinary electric lamp at the centre of the glass plate. The shades 2 being black outside and white inside prevent projection of the direct light rays from the lamp filament through the plate, and together with a black curtain, render the operation of examining cocoons by passing light very effective and cocoons can be easily selected. Furthermore the apparatus of the invention is especially suited for arranging several stands of them side by side by providing a frame jointly for all the receptacles, and arranging an endless carrier in common to them, so that the operation of selecting cocoons is rendered economical and convenient.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in What manner the same is to be performed, We declare that What We claim is 1. An improved apparatus for selecting cocoons comprising a transparent selecting table, grid bars at one end of the table, Waste cocoon outlets at the other end of the table, tubular electric lamps arranged at 0 both sides beneath the glass plate, a black curtain hanging on the fore side of the frame WOI'k, a funnel shaped receptacle purpose as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for selecting cocoons, a transparent selecting table, grid bars arranged alongside of the table, means for discharging cocoons onto the grid bars, and

V a source of light arranged below the transparent table.

In testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures. I

RYOIOHI NAITO. SEIJI NISHIKAVVA. 

